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ARCHIVE: Planning Policy Statements (PPSs)

These set out the Government’s national policies on different aspects of spatial planning in England. These policies complement, but do not replace or override, other national planning policies and should be read in conjunction with other relevant statements of national planning policy.

Defra has worked with CLG to ensure that planning for development - of an appropriate scale - in rural areas can ensure that communities can prosper and thrive whilst ensuring continued protection for the countryside.

Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3)

This highlights the needs for providing market and affordable housing in rural areas.  PPS3 sets out a proactive ‘plan-led’ approach to the supply of land for housing to help achieve the step change in housing delivery required. By ‘plan-led’, PPS3 requires local authorities to be much more proactive and identify sites in their plans that are suitable for housing, working with local communities and key stakeholders. 

Through PPS3 there are tools available to local authorities in rural areas to enable them to secure affordable housing.  Local authorities can set lower site-size thresholds (than the indicative national minimum threshold of 15) above which they can seek affordable housing. In addition, they can set lower thresholds for the rural parts of their areas.

PPS3 also reaffirmed the rural exceptions site policy, which allows local authorities, where practical and economically viable, to grant permission for 100% affordable housing on small sites that would not normally be released for housing.  This is an important means of providing affordable housing in perpetuity to meet needs of local rural communities. 

Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth (PPS 4)

This incorporates the commitments made in the Government’s response to the Matthew Taylor report and more importantly reflects the importance of the rural economy to the economy as a whole. PPS 4 provides a more flexible planning system which allows local entrepreneurs to thrive whilst respecting the need for sustainable development in both urban and rural locations.

One of the objectives of PPS4 is to raise the quality of life and the environment in rural areas by promoting thriving, inclusive and locally distinctive rural communities whilst continuing to protect the open countryside for the benefit of all.

Planning for a Natural and Healthy Environment (In public consultation)

The aim of this proposed PPS (currently out on public consultation) is to give a clearer and more strategic national policy framework for the protection and enhancement of the natural environment, and the provisions of sufficient areas of open space, and land and facilities for sport and recreation to meet the needs of communities. In bringing together policies on the natural environment and open spaces, CLG are also seeking to meet the commitment made in World Class Places to prepare planning policy to deliver green infrastructure.

In its final form this PPS will replace Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable development in rural areas (PPS7) – in so far as it relates to landscape protection, soil and agricultural land quality and forestry; Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and geological conservation (PPS9); Planning Policy Guidance Note 17: Planning for open space, sport and recreation (PPG17); and Planning Policy Guidance Note 20: Coastal planning in so far as it relates to coastal access, heritage coast and the undeveloped coast. 

Page last modified: 23 March 2010
Page published: 23 March 2010